About

BW05 Camera Stabilization with Kinetic Remote

$79,604

pledged of $75,000 goal

72

backers

UPDATE: DECEMBER 9

By popular request, we created a demo video with longer shots with the BW05 stabilizer:

INTRODUCTION

The BeeWorks 5 is a camera stabilization and control system that allows you to get dynamic and steady shots from new perspectives. It will create cinematic shots whether it is handheld, mounted to vehicles, or controlled remotely.

The BeeWorks 5 is lightweight, sturdy, easy-to-use, and excels at producing smooth handheld shots, even while navigating stairs or difficult terrain. It is not only a great handheld stabilizer, though…

With the BeeWorks Kinetic Remote system, the BeeWorks 5 can be controlled remotely while attached to its stand. The stand makes it possible to mount the camera in unique locations, like the hood of a car, on a table or window, or on a lighting stand. Imagine filming a meal from the center of the table while remotely framing the shot.

The Kinetic Remote captures your movements and transmits that information to the BeeWorks 5, which matches your movements in real-time. While the technology is cutting edge, the effect is old school —You feel like you are holding the camera in your hands, even when the camera is across the room.

Machining our stabilizer entirely from aerospace-grade aluminum, as opposed to the more typical carbon fiber tube construction, afforded us more design freedom. We asked ourselves first what it should look like and how it should function, then designed a system to meet that aesthetic and functionality. As a result, the BeeWorks 5 is lighter and more compact than competing stabilizers. It also packs into a single carry-on case, including the stand and Kinetic Remote.

Balancing the BeeWorks 5 is easy. The most common adjustment, made when changing lenses, is as simple as a button press. Adjustable components are colored silver and require no tools. While filming our demo reel, we found that lens changes typically take 10-15 seconds to balance, while camera changes take 30-60 seconds.

DESIGN

We obsessed over hundreds of details to make the BeeWorks 5 the lightest stabilizer in its class.

Weight is important, because a lighter stabilizer means more agility and less fatigue over the course of a shoot. It also enables you to be more inventive with body positions. Every ounce makes a difference.

Weight also affects performance. A lighter system means the motors and battery do not need to work as hard to position the camera.

We have a team of filmmakers advising us on the features they most want to see in our products. A common theme for every product is portability. Most stabilizers fit in a case, but what about the stand? What about the remote control system and the battery charger? With the BeeWorks 5, the entire system fits in a single FAA-regulation carry-on case.

All cables and electronics are built into the body of the BeeWorks 5. The gimbal itself has nine circuit boards discretely hidden from view. Internal cables and electronics avoid the potential of snagging them on other equipment and make the system more weather resistant, not to mention that you can be proud to use the BeeWorks 5 at a wedding, fashion show, or red carpet event.

All adjustment points are colored silver. The stabilizer has an asymmetric design to offset motor weight, making it inherently more balanced and reducing adjustment points. The most common adjustment is a push button. The result is a stabilizer that is easy and quick to balance.

All adjustment points also have a back-up safety system. Should you forget to tighten a thumb-screw, you do not need to worry that your camera will end up on the ground. We have you covered.

KINETIC REMOTE

The Kinetic Remote mounts to the handlebar when the stabilizer is on the stand. It makes it easy to capture cinematic camera moves when the camera is not in your hands.

While experimenting with early prototypes, we learned that framing a shot is hard to do when the camera is controlled remotely with a traditional RC stick transmitter. It is not easy to get natural movements, particularly when more than one axis is changing at a time.

We wanted to design a system that feels like using a camera. Want to pan to the left while tilting up? We think you should...pan to the left and tilt up. It should feel like cinematography, not an arcade game.

The Kinetic Remote has a position sensor that captures your position and movements and transmits those to the stabilizer, which then matches your movements. It uses the same handlebar as the stabilizer, so you can easily switch between a handheld mode and the Kinetic Remote without extra gear.

The video from your camera can be transmitted wirelessly back to the Kinetic Remote system via the Paralinx Arrow Plus (sold separately) so that you can see what you are filming.

The Kinetic Remote has a simple interface. Hold down a button when you want the camera to match your moves. When you take your finger off the button, the camera stays in its current position. There is also a sensitivity knob. Twist it to the left, and the camera feels lightweight and responsive. Twist it to the right, and the camera responds more subtly, as if it is a heavier camera —perfect for those epic, slow moving shots.

THE STAND

The versatile BeeWorks 5 stand is more than a secure place to rest or balance the stabilizer. The stand also functions as a means to mount your stabilizer to almost any surface.

Standard threaded 1/4"-20 mounting points are strategically placed on the stand spine and base to enable the BeeWorks 5 to be attached to a horizontal or vertical surface with suction cups or to a tripod or lighting stand. This versatility means that the BeeWorks 5 fits well on a film set, live event, or on a moving vehicle, where both stabilization and remote control are key requirements.

ONBOARD ELECTRONICS

The BeeWorks 5 contains state-of-the-art electronics. We custom designed many of the printed circuit boards ourselves and manufacture them in Seattle. For the past year, we have manufactured the gimbal controller boards for companies with some of the most respected and successful stabilizers on the market.

SENSORS

There are two position sensors in the stabilizer and one in the Kinetic Remote. Each position sensor has a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer. The system uses all of these sensors to know where the camera is at all times and to understand your intentions as to where the camera should be pointed.

CABLES

We have an advanced cable system, custom made for BeeWorks in the USA, that internally routes signals and power throughout the BeeWorks 5. USB Power is available on the camera platform and can power a Paralinx Arrow+ video transmitter or can be used to power a camera or other accessories.

We also have internal HDMI routing for video monitoring. You can plug your camera HDMI output into the camera platform on the BeeWorks 5, then connect your video monitor or recorder to a HDMI-D socket on the handlebar. This feature enables you to use a Sony A7s camera, for example, along with an Atomos Shogun Recorder to preview and record 4K footage. There are no long cables dangling between the monitor and the camera.

BLUETOOTH

Both the stabilizer and the Kinetic Remote have Bluetooth built in to communicate with your computer or mobile device. Bluetooth is used mainly for configuration presently, but we have some exciting ideas for how the BeeWorks 5 can work with your computing devices in the future.

MICROPROCESSORS

There are three microprocessors in the BeeWorks 5 system, including a powerful ARM Cortex-M4. They currently do a lot of math, but they also offer some exciting possibilities for the future.

VIDEO STREAMING

For effective remote control, you need to see what your camera sees in high definition without delay. After researching numerous wireless video systems, we were happy to discover the Paralinx Arrow Plus system. We liked it so much, we designed an adaptor on the BeeWorks 5 so that it will connect easily and discreetly.

Please note that the Paralinx Arrow Plus system is sold separately.

COMMUNICATIONS

Our Kinetic Remote communicates with the BeeWorks 5 over a 2.4 GHz wireless serial signal. Rather than relying on a typical RC system, our communications protocol can support more advanced and precise bi-directional communications. Our wireless system also is built with futuristic applications in mind.

CONFIGURATION

OUT OF BOX EXPERIENCE

Order the complete kit, and the BeeWorks 5 will arrive fully assembled in a case that meets the FAA’s definition of a carry-on. Everything you need to get started filming fits in the case. Pull out the stand and assemble it with a single 1/4”-20 thumb screw. Place the BeeWorks 5 on the stand with or without the handlebar attached. Attaching the handlebar requires only four thumb screws.

Insert the battery into its compartment, and close the cover. Attach your camera to the camera plate using a standard tripod thumb screw. Slide the plate into the dovetail assembly on the BeeWorks 5, and press the silver button to adjust it forward or back. This adjustment is the one you will use most often, when changing lenses, for example. There are only three other adjustment points, all of which use silver aluminum thumb screws.

When the camera is balanced on the stand, turn on the stabilizer. The BeeWorks 5 will ship with factory-installed settings that will work well for most camera/lens combinations. If you need to tune the stabilizer for your specific combination, the auto-tune function works well. Simply connect to the stabilizer via Bluetooth from your phone or computer and select auto-tune.

CHANGING CAMERAS / LENSES

In most cases, changing lenses is as simple as adjusting the camera plate forward and back to find the new balance point for the new lens. This adjustment typically takes less than ten seconds. If the difference in lenses is dramatic, you may need to adjust the tuning. The auto-tune function makes it easy to adjust settings in minutes.

Changing the camera may require more adjustments to balance the new configuration, but these adjustments should take less than two minutes. The most common adjustments for camera changes are forward/back, up/down, left/right. We will post a video in Updates to demonstrate these adjustment points.

HISTORY

Adam Behringer and Matt Nuffort founded BeeWorks in Seattle. Adam’s experience with software, electronics, and the performing arts, coupled with Matt’s experience as a mechanical and aerospace engineer, product designer and flight instructor, create a synergy uniquely suited to develop products for artists that harness software and hardware technology. Our career experience ranges from multiple start-ups to Fortune 500 companies and military service.

We formed BeeWorks, because we saw an opportunity at the intersection between the cutting-edge trends in technology and the tools that artists use. Technology is getting smaller, smarter, and more connected, while many of the tools available to filmmakers today tend to be designed around assumptions that were true 10-20 years ago. The tools that are cutting edge are often better suited for hobbyists, rather than being designed to work seamlessly in an artistic workflow.

We aspire to make useful and creative tools for artists that are powered by the latest technological advances.

We already have a portfolio of products planned. The BeeWorks 5 is at the heart of these products. As you move and control cameras in creative new ways, a steady shot is paramount.

REWARDS

Risks and challenges

The BeeWorks 5 is a complex product with parts made by over half a dozen manufacturing partners and suppliers. There are two main categories of risk —schedule risk and technology risk.

Schedule delays are the most common risk with projects of this complexity. We have mitigated schedule risk by producing our most recent prototypes with all the manufacturing partners that will be building the production models. Most of the tooling is complete, and our partners have learned from the experience of building the prototypes. We believe we can estimate the manufacturing and assembly process accurately, based on this experience with the prototypes.

Technology risk encompasses features that have not been finalized to production quality.

WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN?

We built numerous 3D printed prototypes over the past year. Our most recent prototypes were manufactured out of production materials by our Seattle-area manufacturing partners who will build the production version of the product. The stabilization features are working well. All of the shots in the intro video were filmed with our first production-quality prototype. We continue to make small refinements to make it even better and are confident the production models will be excellent.

WHAT ARE WE STILL REFINING?

The Kinetic Remote prototype was completed just in time for the intro video and is still being refined. In particular, we are working on increasing wireless range and decreasing latency. We are making daily improvements in both of those areas. Please see our Kickstarter Updates for the latest information.

We continue to refine the stabilization performance when the BeeWorks 5 is on a vehicle moving at road speeds. We will make several subtle changes to the design to improve this performance and believe further refinement will result from improved tuning.

We are confident that these features will be production quality by the time we ship, but in the interest of full transparency we want to list them as technical risks.

For the past year, BeeWorks has manufactured high-quality gimbal controller electronics used in some of the industry’s top stabilization systems. The boards are assembled at a state-of-the art facility down the street from our office.

Nearly every component in the BeeWorks 5 is manufactured in Seattle. The machining, finishing, soldering, and assembly all is accomplished within 30 minutes of our office, allowing us to work closely with our manufactures to guarantee high-quality and efficient production.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $100 or more
About $100

You may have spotted our awesome Kickstarter poster in a Seattle-area coffee shop. At this support level, we will send you a photographic-quality version of our 11” x 17” poster printed on KODAK Premier Metallic Paper.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $249 or more
About $249

B32+ GIMBAL CONTROLLER KIT. Did you know that we supply gimbal controller boards to some of the industry’s best gimbals? If you want to upgrade to BeeWorks electronics, choose this support level. Made in Seattle with high-quality components, the kit includes two IMU sensors and lightweight cabling.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $3,499 or more
About $3,499

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL (BW05 + KINETIC REMOTE + STAND + HANDLEBAR + PARALINX ADAPTER + CASE). This package includes everything we make for the BeeWorks 5 at a $1,000 discount. Let's get this party started!

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $3,999 or more
About $3,999

KICKSTARTER SPECIAL (BW05 + KINETIC REMOTE + STAND + HANDLEBAR + PARALINX ADAPTER + CASE). Use the BeeWorks 5 as a stabilizer or control it remotely with the Kinetic Remote. Mount it to vehicles, stands, or walls and pack it all down into a single carry-on case. Includes everything we make for the BeeWorks 5.